# Fabrication Process and Light-Trapping Performance Study of Ultrathin Silicon-Based Solar Cells with Embedded ZnO/Au Heterojunction Nanostructures

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new fabrication process for ultrathin silicon solar cells with ZnO/Au nanostructures that significantly improve light absorption and efficiency.

## Contribution

A novel fabrication process for ZnO/Au heterojunction nanostructures on silicon solar cells is proposed, showing substantial efficiency improvements.

## Key findings

- The proposed solar cell structure improves light absorption efficiency by 13.2%, 35.01%, and 63.78% compared to other nanostructured and planar solar cells.
- The short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency reach 40 mA/cm2 and 20.17%, respectively.
- The study provides insights into the performance enhancement mechanism of ZnO/Au heterojunction nanostructures.

## Abstract

Owing to the excellent performance of zinc oxide materials under ultraviolet light, this paper proposes a process for fabricating ZnO/Au heterojunction nanostructures on the surface of silicon-based solar cells using anodic aluminum oxide as the template, ultimately resulting in a novel silicon-based solar cell with an embedded ZnO/Au nanostructure array. Through model optimization and analysis of the solar cells, it is found that compared with silicon-based solar cells with double grating nanostructures, silicon-based solar cells with surface silicon nanostructure arrays prepared by similar processes, and traditional planar silicon-based solar cells, the light absorption efficiency of the proposed solar cell structure is improved by 13.2%, 35.01%, and 63.78%, respectively; its short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency reach 40 mA/cm2 and 20.17%, respectively. Meanwhile, this paper conducts an in-depth study on the performance enhancement mechanism, providing new insights for the fabrication of ZnO/Au heterojunction nanostructures and their applications in the field of solar cells.